The Bottle Shop's Beer Maven Wants To Set You Up With Your Perfect Brew

Clay Hartmann expanded his World Beer Company brand in May by opening the Bottle Shop, a bricks-and-mortar beer store in Lowest Greenville that lets customers consume their purchases on premise. The small store front has a large bar, a few couches and a long communal table for seating. There's no food, save some popcorn I saw Hartmann handing out to customers during a recent visit, but you can order in. The Bottle Shop has relationships with Mextopia, Greenville Avenue Pizza, Nandina, and others. They keep menus at the bar.

The World Beer Company got its start selling themed gift baskets on the internet. When Hartmann decided he wanted a storefront, he thought it would be nice to let his customers imbibe and socialize over their choices. He hired Stephanie Roethlisberger away from the Meddlesome Moth and coined her Beer Maven. Roethlisberger tends the bar and is in charge of a beer selection that tops 500 varieties.

Have a seat at the bar, ask a few questions, and the petite, fiery redhead will talk hops a mile a minute. She's not trying to impress you. She's trying to learn what you like. Roethlisberger's like a dating expert. She's trying to match you up with your new favorite brew (and, in turn, sell more beer). Her current favorites include Maredsous 8 and a selection of barley wines including Mikkeller Devine Rebel and Avery Samael, which tips the ABV scales at more than 15 percent. For a pint-sized Beer Maven, Roethlisberger likes her brews boozy.

Beyond bottles, the bar also has a constantly changing selection of drafts. IPAs and Belgians are always available. The shop does a rotation of Dogfish Head and (512) out of Austin. Want to take a draft beer home? Growlers are available for $7.99 plus the cost of the beer.